Vending-machine.



J. P. DIXON.

VENDING MACHINE. 4 APPLICATION FILED MAB.6,1911.

1,000,788. Patented Aug. 15, 1911.

2 BHEETB-SHBET 1.

CBLUMBIA PLANOURAPH CO" WASHINGTON, D- C.

J. F. DIXON. VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 6, 1911.

a Burma-slum 2.

J I 21x02? v v I I W W W r COLUMBIK PIIJNOGIAPH C0. WASHINGTON, D. C.

Patented Aug. 15, 1911.

turret) s'rarns PATENT curios.

JOHN FORD DIXON, 0F SUSQUEHANNA, PENNSYLVANIA.

VENDING-MACHINE.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN FORD DIXON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Susquehanna, in the county of Susquehanna and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vending-Machines; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in vending machines.

One object of the invention is to provide a machine of this character which is particularly adapted for vending confectionery or chewing gum in the form of balls or globular bodies and which is provided with an improved construction and arrangement of delivery mechanism whereby a predetermined number of balls or pieces are separated and discharged at each operation of the machine.

With this and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a side view partly in section of my improved vending machine showing the arrangement of the delivering mechanism; Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the upper or hopper section of the machine showing the arrangement of the delivering and separating mechanism over the discharge opening of the hopper; Fig. 3 is a plan view of the base section of the machine showing the construction and arrangement of the carriage for conveying the goods to the discharge chute and the coin controlled operating mechanism thereof; Fig. 1 is a side view of the separating attachment for the discharge opening of the hopper; Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the same; Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the carriage and its guiding mechanism for-conveying the goods to the discharge chute; Fig. 7 is a side view of the same; Fig. 8 is a plan and side view of the check spring for the carriage; Fig. 9 is a plan view of the discharge chute of the machine; and, Fig. 10 is an end view of said chute.

Referring more particularly to the draw- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 6, 1911.

Patented Aug. 15, 1911.

Serial No. 612,574.

ings, 1 denotes my improved vending machine which is preferably of cylindrical form and comprises a hollow base 2 and a hopper 3. The hopper 3 consists of a hollow cylindrical delivery chamber 4 on which is arranged the main or body portion 5 of the hopper, said body portion being closed by a cap or cover 6. The cap 6 and body portion 5 of the hopper are secured in position on the upper delivery chamber 4 by tie rods or bolts 7 which are inserted through the cap and through the upper side of the chamber 4: as shown. The cap may be provided with any suitable form of filling opening whereby the goods may be placed in the hopper. On the upper side of the chamber 4 is arranged an upwardly projecting guide flange 8 having inclined side walls which direct the goods inwardly from the sides of the body portion 5 of the hopper.

In the upper side of the chamber 4 adjacent to the rear side of the hopper is formed a discharge passage or opening 9 over which and secured to the lower surface ofthe upper side of the chamber 4 is a separating attachment 10 said attachment being in the form of a rectangular oblong frame corresponding to the size and shape of the discharge opening 9, said opening and frame being of sufficient length to permit the simultaneous discharge of the desired number of balls or pieces of gum. The attachment 10 is secured to the upper side of the chamber 4 by means of fastening screws 11 which are engaged with apertured lugs 12 formed on the opposite ends of the frame of the attachment as shown. The frame is preferably constructed of two strips of metal of suitable width, said strips being bent at right angles adjacent to one end thereof to form the ends of the frame and in said angularly bent ends are formed slots 13 with which are engaged tenons 1 1 formed on the adjacent ends of the strips whereby the latter are secured together to form the frame. In order to prevent the balls from binding or wedging together while passing through the attachment 10 I provide the latter with spacing rods 15 which are arranged transversely across the frame and have their ends engaged with alined apertures formed in the opposite sides of the frame as shown. The rods 15 when thus arranged separate the frame into three equal spaces or compartments each of which is of sufficient size to receive one ball or piece of gum or confectionery.

Slidably mounted in guide brackets 16 secured to the upper side of the base 2 is a carriage 17 said carriage being in the form of a rectangular block having therein a series of goods receiving passages 18 which are adapted to be brought beneath the spaces in the delivery attachment or frame 10 of the hopper. The block or carriage 15 has formed in its ends horizontal transversely disposed guide slots 18 with which are engaged guide lugs 19 formed on the brackets 16 as shown. The block or carriage 17 is adapted to slide over a bearing plate 20 which closes the lower ends of the passages 18 when the carriage is in position beneath the discharge opening of the hopper. The plate 20 is provided on its ends with apertured lugs 21 which receive the fastening screws 22 by means of which the brackets 16 are secured to the top of the base section 2.

- The carriage has secured to its forward side an operating rod 23 which projects forwardly and is engaged with the slide or plunger 24 of a coin controlled operating mechanism 25 which may be of any suitable construction. To the forward side of the carriage is also secured a forwardly projecting friction plate 26 which is adapted to be engaged by a check spring 27 the pressure of which is exerted to retard the motion of the carriage and thereby prevent the casual movement of the same and discharge of the goods by jarring or tilting the machine. In the upper side of the base 2 is arranged a stop pin 28 which is adapted to be engaged by a notch 29 formed in the forward side of the carriage whereby the forward movement of the latter is limited.

\Vhen the carriage is shifted or pushed back to an operative position by the coin controlled operating mechanism 25 the passages 18 therein will be moved off from the bearing plate 20 and into position to discharge the contents of the passages into a delivery opening 30 formed in the upper side of the base section 2. Beneath the discharge opening 30 is arranged the inner end of an inclined discharge tube 31 which extends forwardly through the base section 2 and communicates at its outer end with a delivery cup 82 arranged on the front side of the base section 2 as shown. By thus arranging the chute 31 the same will receive the goods when discharged from the passages in the carriage after the latter has been shifted to bring said passages overthe discharge opening 30. When thus deposited into the upper end of the chute the balls or pieces of gum or confectionery will roll down the chute into the delivery-cup from which they may be readily removed by the person operating the machine.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention as defined in the ap pended claim. 7,

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

In a vending machine of the character described, a base having in its upper side a' delivery opening, a delivery cup arranged on one side of said base, a delivery chute to connect said delivery opening with said cup, a delivery chamber arranged on said base, said chamber having formed in its upper side a discharge opening, a hopper secured to said chamber, a separating attachment secured to the top of said chamber over the discharge opening therein, said attachment comprising an open frame, a series of transversely disposed dividing rods adapted to divide or separate the frame into a series of spaces each of which is of proper size to receive one of the objects to be vended from the hopper, and a carriage slidably mounted in said chamber and adapted to receive the objects from said separating frame and to convey the same to the delivery opening in the top of the base section of the machine whereby said objects are discharged into the delivery tube and thereby conveyed to the delivery cup.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses. Y

J OHN FORD DIXON. Witnesses:

ADDISON GATES BRUSH, MARCUS FENTON.

Copies of this patent ma; be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

